This was a bit average to me. I did find the message of belonging extremely powerful, but the rest fell a little flat for me, unfortunately.

I want to thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for giving me the opportunity to review this book.  I admit in my joy at joining NetGalley I may have been overzealous in my requesting numbers.  As this book has already been published, I am choosing to work on the current upcoming publish date books in my que.  As I complete those I will work on my backlogged request and will provide a review at that time.  I again send my sincere thanks and apologies.

Romina is wonderful . I loved the push pull of Manu's feelings about her family, the struggles with ancestral pain and the use of magic to focus on the issues surrounding marginalized identities of Latin descent.

Easy 5/5 stars! Beautiful POC novel. I was immursed into the culture of this book, and loved every second of it. Definitely one of my top 3 books for the year!

I am soooo disappointed :(

You ever feel so strongly that you ~should~ like a book that you end up really disappointed with yourself for not?? That's how I am with Lobizona. It has all the makings of a story I would really enjoy, but I just can't get behind it. I loved the first 25%, but after that, it really needed to be fleshed out more. I expected more about ICE, immigration, and her familial history/culture, which were discussed in the first 25%, but then were nearly completely dismissed. Considering they play such a large part in the synopsis I expected more. After that point, it's essentially an Argentine-inspired Hogwarts story. I LOVED learning more about Argentine culture, but it just didn't make up for the lack of connection I felt towards the characters and plot. I was just expecting something SO different based on the synopsis and it isn't at all what I got.

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for an eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Manuela "Manu" Azul lives hidden away from the world, seemingly because of her status as an undocumented immigrant with her father's family looking for her. Her cycle seems to be worse than her mother's, requiring her to be sedated to pass the time. When Manu's mother is taken, Manu begins to unravel the truth of who and what she is. 

The summary captured me immediately. A female werewolf story is something that should have tickled my fancy, but it fell a bit flat for me. To start, Manu's lobizona identity is not "discovered until way too far into the book. Everyone, including herself, thinks she is a witch, as women are witches and men are lobizones. The reader already knows the truth because it's the title of the book! Next, it mostly takes place in a school. Given the age of the characters, I suppose this makes sense, but it was a drag to go through their classes while the truth and mystery is slowly unfurled. One Manu's lobizona status is revealed, the story picks up again. I'm hoping the second book will build more on some of the ideas and conflicts mentioned here, such as sexual identity and orientation in such a strict society and gender norms. It was a good introduction and I will definitely be picking up the second.

Lobizona is a #OwnVoices YA Fantasy novel based on Argentinian folklore. Manu and her mom are undocumented immigrants hiding from ICE and Manu's father's crime family. Manu is special, the stars in her eyes tell us this, she just doesn't know how special yet.

In this story Romina Garber addresses some of the more painful aspects of immigration in the United States while creating a well cared for, colorful, culturally unique fantasy world that helps readers feel a sense of belonging.

I'm curious to see how the story and relationships between the characters develop. I can't wait for the next book.

Lobizona was a fantastic read with Argentine culture and folklore featuring witches and werewolves. Manu, the MC, has such a captivating background the reader can't help but become engaged in the story. She starts off living illegally and in hiding with her mother and family friend. Her mother eventually gets detained by ICE and in her search for her, Manu finds herself at a magical school for witches and werewolves. 
  There was romance subplot that I wasn't too interested in at first, but eventually got on board. Many of the side characters were likeable that added some drama/intrigue to the story.

I would recommend this book to anyone interested in fantasy, magic, mythology, folklore, or paranormal genres.

I love when an author forces their reader to make connections, to see how this fantastical,magical world has the same the injustices as our world. For some readers who have suffered these injustices it will give them a home in the pages, a feeling of being seen and heard in a world that might otherwise seem to not be listening. For those who are ignorant to these injustices hopefully it will make them rethink what their home should look like and how they could be better humans to everyone.  

Manu lives a sheltered life, she believes because she is undocumented living in Miami. That facade comes crashing down when she realizes she is an “other” or an “illegal” in other worlds besides ours. As she battles to find a sense of belonging in her otherness she also finds herself battling the misogyny of more than one culture and the gender roles forced on all individuals. Through her friends, family and new tribe Manu begins to find herald. I loved this book qnd can’t wait for the second in the series

This was a beautiful story about the exploration of immigration, acceptance, gender, and so much more in a package rich with folklore. The magic and mystery mixed with the beautiful writing drew me in and kept me intrigued through the whole book. Not only that but the emotions this book made me feel was overwhelming. This is such a timely and relatable read to so many people and I felt for Manu in her journey of family and self-acceptance. 

Simply beautiful.

In the stunning novel by Romina Garber, "Lobizona", character Manuela Azul is faced with the terrifying reality that she does not belong in the human world... or the magical one. Fearful of her life as she tries to avoid ICE in the United States, Manu must also protect the secret that she is a magical being seen as a disgrace to those of the magical realm. Forced to uncover the story of her past and the heritage that had be kept hidden to her her whole life, Manu races against time when not only her and her family are in danger but the entire existence of her kind. 

Slow to start, the novel is highly recommended for individuals who want a new, and relevant, story to add to their fantasy reads.

I’m disappointed to say that this one seemed to miss its mark. It continually felt like something was off and it wasn’t sure what direction it wanted to go.

On one hand, I felt as though the cultural aspects, commentary on and representation of immigration in the United States, and challenging of gender stereotypes and norms were the most powerful parts of this book. It was refreshing to see a modern world, with modern systems of oppression represented in this story, particularly one that weaves magical realism into its storyline.

However, I also felt like this book took quite a lot of time to really get going and even when it finally did, it was difficult to ascertain the direction of the story. To a degree, it felt as though it was simply circling around everything Manu has happening in her life, without actually jumping in to tackle any of it until well past the halfway point. 

I was also uncomfortable with all of the allusions to a certain bestselling series that also features a magical boarding school. I certainly understand how important it is to Manu and it’s significance to the themes of this story, but it was almost -too- obvious a piece of the story, to the degree it was overshadowed at times. I believe the story would have been stronger without the allusions. 

The premise in this is great and I definitely enjoyed Manu’s discovery of the school and making friends with her classmates and discovering more about who she is, but it takes too long to take off and once it does, it seems to be split down too many paths. It takes over half of the book for a specific event to occur, despite knowing it was coming from the very first chapter. 

I was tempted to set this book aside a few times, but I really wanted to give it a chance and definitely am interested in Manu’s journey. I’m just not sure this book truly has much to offer as far as the magical realism and fantasy aspects go. The aspects of Manu’s human life/world were infinitely more compelling and the strongest part of the plot.

CW: homophobia, bigotry, sexism, fear of deportation, ICE, menstruation talk 

Manuela, Manu, has never felt like she fit in. Living undocumented in Miami, Florida she is always looking over her shoulder, cautious. If that wasn’t enough, her eyes also mark her as different with their vibrant yellow hue and star shaped pupils. Through a series of events, Manu loses everyone she could depend on, Perla and her mom, she barely escapes. On the run, she finds a school for witches and werewolves and despite not being either, Manu finds a way to get into the school where she can start discovering herself. 

I was excited about this book. Witches, werewolves, magical school, competition, I thought I would fall in love with this story, but I didn’t. I didn’t click with <i>Lobizona</i> and that breaks my heart a little bit. I was thrilled to dive into Argentinian folklore and ended up being disappointed in it. 

<i>Lobizona</i> started off fast, albeit with a difficult scene, and I was interested. I was eager to see where the story would go and continued that way for a while. Then, it started to feel a little repetitive for me. I fully understand that I am not the audience that fear of deportation is really going to resonate with, I can try to understand the best I can, but I will never understand, I know that, so it does feel that the author really wanted to drive home this aspect. It felt like anytime Manu felt like she didn’t belong she related it back to that experience. It was all because she never belonged. I understand having that moment relating back too and getting stuck in that rut of “this is why this is happening,” but this happened to the point where it felt pretty teen angst. 

The romance simply wasn’t for me. I never connected with the characters or really believed the romance. Truthfully, it felt a little forced to me. 

Also, there were Harry Potter references and while I understand that had a big cultural impact can we not? 

I know I’m not the audience that this book could really impact, so I really hope that this book finds it’s way to those individuals that it could impact not only through the talks of how the fear of deportation could impact someone, but through the talks of women trying to break from the roles and expectations that are put on them so that they can be who they truly are.

Manuela Azul has been crammed into an existence that feels too small for her. As an undocumented immigrant who's on the run from her father's Argentine crime-family, Manu is confined to a small apartment and a small life in Miami, Florida.  Until Manu's protective bubble is shattered.

This book starts off quiet, for both the reader and the main character, Manu. There is a quietness to the way Manu lives her everyday life, due to her situation, that the reader can clearly see and feel. However, things soon pick up and take off like a rocket. While some may struggle to get past the seemingly non-magical opening chapters, I definitely encourage readers to push through, as the payout is exceptional. The story is filled with heart and plenty of twists and surprises.

Manu is an intriguing main character. She seems to stumble through most of her scenes and accidently find herself in the way of most of her obstacles, as well as the solutions. I appreciated such a down to earth protagonist. I also loved the supporting characters, who were all well developed and intriguing. Even the secondary characters stood out in my memory long after finishing the story.

The world the author created for this story is my favorite part of the book. She manages to weave together reality and fantasy in a way that even the reader begins to question how much of the story could actually happen. This book features a dual world in a way that isn’t quite a portal fantasy but also shows a definite duality to the world Manu knows. 

This book is a very appropriate modern-day take on the magical realism genre. The book takes a number of tropes and turns them on their head while incorporating real-world problems such as immigration and human rights. The author’s writing is absolutely beautiful as is the construction of her world and characters. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of Young Adult Fantasy.

I loved this book. I will definitely put this in my school library I highly recommend this book for anyone who loves YA fiction.

LOBIZONA is an Argentinian-folklore-inspired YA fantasy that I tore through in one day!
 
Our young heroine, Manuela, has spent her entire life hiding in fear of being deported, hiding from her father’s Argentine crime family, and hiding her unique eyes behind sunglasses. When Manu’s mother is taken by ICE, she sets out for answers about her father’s family and his mysterious past. Her search takes her from Miami to a Hogwarts-style school for witches and werewolves who travel between worlds and come alive every full moon. In this magical world, Manu starts to discover who and what she really is.
 
This was such a fun, eye-opening read. Garber educates her readers on the struggles and injustices that undocumented immigrants endure every single day in this country. The incredible world-building takes us to a vivid, magical realm rich with Argentinian culture but much like our own modern society, this world is also plagued with bigotry. LOBIZONA explores heavy-hitting topics such as undocumented immigrants, race, gender roles, menstruation and all of the characters are Argentinian or Latin-X. 

Garber has crafted a fantastical tale about family, friendship, belonging and what it means to be an immigrant. I highly recommend and cannot wait for the next book!

I absolutely fell in love with Lobizona. While some may find it a bit on the slow side, I found myself captivated the entire ride. Yes, there are a lot of very common YA tropes used, but honestly I found that I did not mind at all. The world and characters are so beautifully crafted that is just worked. Lobizona is one of those stories that will stick with me and I hope that it resonates with others for years to come. Especially in a world where so many people are treated as “other” and only really want we all want – to be loved and belong.

I was rooting for Manuela throughout. I wanted her to find more answers as to why she is the way that she is. She's unique and wonderful. She kept getting hit from one side and then another, I wanted her to catch a break.

Ahoy there me mateys!  I received this young adult fantasy eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  So here be me honest musings . . .

This book interested me with its use of Argentinian folklore and also its commentary on the U.S. immigration system.  Though this book came out last August, only now was I able to find the mood and mental state to read this title.  Though I understand the love for this book, it ended up being just an okay read for me.  I don't really feel like breaking down the plot as the blurb is pretty clear.  But here be some thoughts on the novel.

The Pros:

- Argentinian folklore: The highlight because I love getting more insight into the myths and folklore of South America which gets ignored in the U.S.
- The Reality:  I enjoy that the book dealt with the important topic of immigration.  I also enjoy when bodily functions of teens (periods) are acknowledged and not treated as shameful in books.
- The Main Character:  I did cheer for Manu to succeed and I enjoyed her overall.  I particularly enjoyed that she loved to learn and read.  I also loved that she was reading classic Spanish works and about space.
- Manu's Family:  I loved how much Manu's mother cared about her.  I also loved Perla, Manu's surrogate grandmother, who owned the apartment they lived in.  I honestly think that Perla may have been me favorite character.

The Cons:

- The Main Character:  It took her way, way too long to figure out what her "problem" was.  Everyone should have figured out the "mystery" sooner.  The reader knows pretty much right away.  Granted the title helped.  Plus she is becomes the special snowflake good-at-everything type which is not to me taste.
- The Love Interest:  Insta-lust and blandness.  The twist involved was also lackluster and kinda annoying.
- The Side Characters: Many of these characters (particularly the men) were weakly portrayed and not fleshed out.  So much so, that I got confused as to who was who.
- The Setting:  While I liked the magical school concept, the actual training made no real sense and was barely shown.  The world building felt very shallow and undeveloped.  The rules and systems of both the school and fantasy world itself seemed contradictory at times.
- The Pace and Plot: The pacing was slow and yet the climax and resolution sped by.  The pace was especially slow in the part where the group is trying to figure out Manu's magic.  I also hated the whole Fierro rebel plot and especially how that resolved.  I also didn't enjoy the plot concerning Manu's father.  I wanted Manu to care more about what happened to her mother rather than her social life.  And while I liked that immigration is discussed, how ICE and school was dealt with seemed rather bizarre in the overall story.  Oh and how Manu got to (and stayed in) the school was laughable.  And what was the point to the "other Manu?"
- The Spanish: I did not care for the technique the author chose to portray the translations.  It kept interrupting the story flow.

I don't feel inclined to read the next book in the series though I am glad more books like this are being published.  Arrr!

So lastly . . .

Thank you St. Martin's Press!

What I Loved: I loved this fresh take on a werewolf story. It tackles the difficult subjects of immigration, systemic racism, misogyny, and understanding one’s identity. Drawing on Argentinian folklore. My husband lived in Rosario, Argentina for a few years before we got married which means I am endlessly fascinated by books that draw on the history, culture and mythology of the country. I absolutely adored Manu, she is fierce, independent and determined. The book definitely went in an unexpected direction and I mean that in the most positive way. What I assumed would be an urban fantasy quickly morphed into a book featuring a magical school, witches, werewolves and magical sports. I found it absolutely delightful. I honestly cannot believe Lobizona is a debut novel and while the title may give away one of the key reveals of the story, there were still plenty of twists and turns I was not expecting. I cannot wait to see where the next book goes and to read more about Manu and her rag tag group of friends. You can find the Q&A I did with Romina here.

What I Didn’t Love: As with the title above, I have very little to complain about when it comes to this debut novel.